Foster Guidelines

FOSTERING FOR LSAR

Between the rescue and the forever home exists one of the most important parts of the abandoned animal’s future, the foster home. Fostering is a very important aspect of the work we do at LSAR. It can literally make the difference between placing the rescued animal in their forever home or not.

Why?? Simple, most animals do best in a nurturing home environment. Many animals become stressed in runs or kennels for long periods of time. They do better when they are placed in a foster home where they receive companionship, reassurance, activity, basic training and most important, lots of love. They can more easily be evaluated and the foster parent will help in determining just what home will be best for them in the adoption process.

Fostering can be one of the most rewarding experiences you will have. Whether you love cats or dogs, puppies or kittens, you are building the bridge to their new home. It could be a senior dog, who has lost its owner, and needs some extra kindness while they adjust to this unknown change. It could be a puppy, who will form its first socialization with people, kids, and other animals through you. It could be a cat, who just needs a quiet place as it learns to trust again. And on top of the rewards, fostering really is a lot of fun.

So would you like to know a little more about becoming a foster home for LSAR? Here are the guidelines for fostering. Please take a look and see if this is something you (and your family) would be interested in doing. We really need your help!

FOSTER PROCEDURES/GUIDELINES

Before being placed in a foster home, every animal is assessed for health problems, temperament, and is spayed/neutered (if old enough). Because LSAR is under time constraints to save these animals, it is possible that certain health or temperament issues will not be apparent at the time of the initial assessment. This is where the foster person’s input is crucial to the life of the animal, as well as determining the type of home it will need. If at any time you do not feel comfortable with the animal you are fostering or if you have questions, please contact us immediately.

LSAR will furnish collars, leashes, grooming supplies, medicines, cat litter, litter boxes, etc. for all animals in our program while in foster care. We can furnish food, or you can keep receipts and be reimbursed for food.

We believe in crate training for all dogs, it helps with house-training, keeps the dog out of mischief when left alone, and gives the animal a sense of security, actually the list of “positives “is endless.We do have crates and kennels that foster homes can use while fostering a dog in our program. Please ask if you need one and/or if you need assistant crate training a dog. Foster animals, especially dogs, should be contained when you are not there to supervise them. Any dog can be destructive to your house, thinking those new shoes or your sofa make great chew toys, that digging in the yard is a really fun pastime, and escaping from a fenced yard a new trick. Again a crate or kennel can help keep the foster dog and your home/belongings safe. LSAR is not liable for loss or damages.

Advertising animals for adoption is the sole responsibility of LSAR, foster homes can not advertise an animal on Craig’s List, in the paper, etc. The exception is your own Facebook page but only with approval from your LSAR sponsor and/or one of the contact people listed below. LSAR will set the adoption fee for each animal.

Many of our rescues are strays, some have had little training, so any basic obedience training a foster household can provide will make it just that much easier to place the dog in a forever home. Please ask if you need help in teaching your foster some basic commands. This also applies to house-training!

We strongly recommend that if you have children or animals of your own that the foster animal be kept separate from them for a reasonable amount of time until it is accustomed to its new environment. This also allows you to get to know the animal one on one. Children should be supervised and not be left alone with any foster animal. Your foster animal should not be left alone with your other pets until you are absolutely certain there are no issues. Rememberyouare responsible for the safety of your children, other children, adults and animals that enter your home and your own pets/animal on your property.

Accidents and illnesses happen. If your foster animal becomes ill or injured, please isolate and contact your LSAR sponsor or if not available, please refer to the contact list. If the injury or illness is an emergency, and you can move the animal safely, please transport to a veterinary clinic. Let the clinic know that this is an LSAR foster animal. Contact your sponsor or one of the LSAR contacts immediately! (If for any reason, you cannot transport an injured or ill foster animal, please call your sponsor or one of the LSAR members on your contact list immediately.

Foster homes must agree to keep the foster animal safe, not expose them to severe/extreme weather, provide fresh water and food daily, provide a clean and healthy environment for play and sleep, not leave them unattended for excessive amounts of time, nor leave them on a chain or in a crate for excessive amounts of time. Foster homes agree that their LSAR sponsor and/or board members can visit the foster home at any time.

Puppies can never be left alone outside. They are easy targets for other animals, either domestic or wild. Cats and kittens must be kept inside at all times. If you are fostering a very small adult dog, please take care to ensure they are supervised whenever they are outside. Again they can be an easy target for other animals.

As applications for adopting your foster animal come in to LSAR, they will be forwarded to you for review. Each foster person assists in determining who will be the best owner for their foster animal. You are responsible for contacting the potential adoptees, asking questions, relating information about the animal to the prospective new home, even setting up a “meet and greet” that can include meeting any other animals in the home. Your sponsor or another LSAR board member will oversee and complete the adoption for your first foster animal. They will explain all the necessary paperwork, go over any questions you have and make sure you thoroughly understand the process before you complete an adoption on your own. Remember you can always contact your sponsor or another LSAR board member to discuss a potential adoptee, or go over any questions or concerns you might have about the adoption process.

LSAR wants your foster experience to be an enjoyable one for you and the animal. The majority of people who foster for LSAR have had many truly wonderful fostering experiences and most have fostered for years! But please understand LSAR cannot guarantee the health, disposition or life span of the animal you foster since in most cases we are uncertain about its background. The foster person needs to be aware that there is a certain amount of risk involved with fostering any animal for LSAR.